Melbourne Victory's charge towards the top of the A-League table continues following its 2-1 win over a spirited Melbourne Heart, with coach Ange Postecoglou praising the maturity of his young players and the football smarts of his experienced campaigners who held their nerve and discipline to secure the three points in another fevered derby atmosphere.

In particular Postecoglou was delighted with the debut of teenage right back Scott Galloway, a 17-year-old who only joined Victory a few weeks ago.

''I thought he was great. He's only 17 years old and he probably has not slept for three nights. David Williams (Heart's goalscorer and Galloway's opponent for most of the night) is very dangerous and there were only a couple of times he got in behind him.

''I threw him to the wolves today and I had a feeling he would cope okay. He coped better than okay.''

Postecoglou conceded that Victory's unfancied opponents had caused them problems, but said his side looked threatening whenever it went forward.

''It was a cracking night for football. It was a great atmosphere, and our supporters were phenomenal. They put us under pressure at times but we were always threatening. It was always going to be a tight and tense affair.

''They were always going to come back into it. They lift for these games, and they played their part.''

For Heart it was another night of what might have been. Coach John Aloisi suggested that Marcos Flores had made a meal of contact between himself and Heart midfielder Jonathan Germano which resulted in the Victory frontman going to ground in the area and referee Strebre Delovski awarding the penalty which, in the end, proved the difference between the two teams.

Victory now face a tough road trip to Adelaide next Friday and are likely to be without Nick Ansell, who went off with a groin injury. Postecoglou is optimistic Marco Rojas, who went off in the second half, will be fit.

Heart faces a must win game against out of form Perth Glory at AAMI Park next Saturday night.